


Ordinary Boy

by jimboppa (caramiro)



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Alternate Canon, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-28
Updated: 2014-04-28
Packaged: 2018-01-21 03:44:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1536338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caramiro/pseuds/jimboppa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuzuru wonders how an ordinary boy could be so special</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ordinary Boy

 

  


  
  
  
  
_Beautiful stranger, an angel with a clear soul  
The music that reaches through the tips of my hands, that music possesses my heart  
Beautiful stranger, you are mysterious to them  
They’re scared of you because they can’t understand, so they just push you away, no_  
\- “Beautiful Stranger” by f(x)  
[translation taken from [WonderfulGeneration.net](http://www.wonderfulgeneration.net/2012/06/fx-beautiful-stranger-lyrics.html#ixzz2zg6Oxe5J)]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
**FOUR CONTINENTS CHAMPIONSHIP 2012-2013  
FEBRUARY 1, 2013 — OSAKA, JAPAN**

  
  
  
  
  
  
Yuzuru runs as he desperately tries to hide from the media. It’s been a while since he’s been in here, and the last thing he wants is to be hounded by the press. A gold medal is at stake, and he’s supposed to enjoy some sort of home-court advantage. After winning a silver medal at the Grand Prix Final last December, people are now expecting him to win the gold, as though his 18-year-old shoulders bear the fate of the entire nation. Maybe it is a matter of life and death for him, but the world doesn’t need to know that.  
  
He hears his phone ringing as he crouches underneath a bench inside the changing room. Kanako and Misha are probably bombarding him with concerned messages, but he’s not really in the mood to check them. Yuzuru realizes how out of breath he is when he’s been gasping more than he usually does. He isn’t certain if this is because of the distance he’s run, or if the pressure is finally catching up to him.  
  
Yuzuru slowly peeks out through the door as he slowly opens it, trying not to take a sound. He scouts all directions before he decides it’s safe enough to walk unguarded. He finally opens his phone, and true enough, there are messages from everyone, including his mother and sister. He quickly types a reassuring message that he’s fine and that he wasn’t kidnapped as he steps outside. He manages to exit the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium without running into anyone—whether it was a friend or someone from the press.  
  
There’s still some snow falling from the sky, although it’s not as heavy as it was a few months ago. As his footsteps calm down, he sees two people pelting each other with snowballs. Yuzuru recognizes them as competitors from the Philippines and South Korea. He can’t help but chuckle as he watches the shorter boy having the advantage in this seemingly one-sided snowball fight. Despite this, there’s something about the tanned boy’s laughter that draws him in. To Yuzuru’s ears, it almost sounds like wind chimes. He regrets not paying any attention to the names listed in the list. He ought to ask Kanako about them later.  
  
Yuzuru continues to watch as the tanned boy continues to suffer a barrage of snowballs. He finds himself laughing along as he watches them chase each other in circles. While they all probably bear expectations from their respective countries, Yuzuru is jealous of how these two boys can still afford to play in the snow when they should be training in the rink. He surmises that maybe they both arrived earlier and this is their down time before the competition.  
  
He is pleasantly surprised as the other boy finally decides to go on the offensive and throw some snowballs of his own. The shorter one still manages to dodge most of them, but Yuzuru finds himself cheering for the taller boy. He stays rooted to his spot, watching this match develop as both boys decide to aimlessly pelt snowballs at any direction they can manage. At some point, Yuzuru finds himself ducking as snowballs start flying his way. He’s surprised none of them have noticed him yet.  
  
He hears his phone ringing. It’s a LINE message from Kanako, bombarding him with several stickers and messages asking him where he is. He looks back, and he sees the two boys are now lying on the ground and staring up at the sky. Their laughter is softer now and their voices are in hushed whispers. He’s about to walk over to where they are, his footsteps already taking him to that direction, but he stops in his tracks as he is about to get close. He wouldn’t want to seem like some busybody, and that wouldn’t make a good impression if his assumption about these two boys being his competitors is right. He sighs as he starts walking to the hotel where he knows everyone is looking for him.  
  
_I’ll see them again… I just know it._  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
**FEBRUARY 5, 2013 — OSAKA, JAPAN**

  
  
  
  
  
  
Yuzuru doesn’t see or hear anything about any of those two boys he saw playing in the snow. He doesn’t run into them at practice, so he can’t help but wonder if they were merely a figment of his imagination. He almost wants to ask Kanako, Mao, Akiko, Taka, or Daisuke for help, but they’d all ask him funny questions, and he’d rather avoid those—thank you very much. They might even end up thinking he’s unwell, when he knows he’s perfectly fine.  
  
He shifts as he puts on the suit jacket that once belonged to his father. He can feel the female members of Team Japan judging him again, as they always do whenever he wears one of his suits. Kanako merely grunts at him, while Akiko and Mao just exchange looks before releasing long-suffering sighs. Yuzuru looks at Daisuke for help, but the latter only shrugs as he casually slings an arm around Mao, who’s leading the way to the opening banquet.  
  
They settle at a table where they can easily mingle with everyone else. He sees the other members of the Philippine and South Korean teams, but he doesn’t see the boys in the snow. He is torn between asking Chris, Junehyoung, or Minseok about them or not. Yuzuru is in the middle of posing for one of the many photos with the other members of “Team Crazy Asians” as Misha calls themselves when he sees two boys walk in. The moment Minseok shouts “Jinseo!” to them, Yuzuru finds himself staring dumbly away from Misha’s phone in favor of the boys who are now heading their way.  
  
Finally! He knew those boys weren’t a figment of his imagination. He couldn’t have just dreamt up that laughter and those voices. This time their smiles are more polite and seemingly more subdued compared to the loud laughter he heard days ago. He pays little attention to the shorter one, who turns out to be Jinseo, Team Korea’s missing teammate. He watches as the tanned boy tries to hide behind the shorter Chris. Yuzuru chuckles as he makes his way to the boy.  
  
The boy’s thick eyebrows join as he looks from Yuzuru to Chris to Jinseo, and back. “I’m Michael. It’s nice to finally meet you,” the boy says as he slowly holds out a hand.  
  
Yuzuru swears that listening to that voice is just as comforting as drinking a cup of hot chocolate and he can go on listening to it for as long as he possibly can.  
  
“ _It’s enchanting to meet you too._ ”  
  
Yuzuru tries to relax his face and smile as he accepts the outstretched hand. Michael smiles at him again, and this time Yuzuru can see traces of that boy who carelessly played in the snow. There is this light in those deep brown eyes that draws him in, almost as though daring Yuzuru to find out his secrets.  
  
“MICHAEL! COME ON, I’M HUNGRY!” Jinseo says, popping seemingly out of nowhere as he puts an arm around Michael’s shoulders.  
  
“I’ll talk to you soon?” Michael asks, smiling as Yuzuru feels the warmth of those bony hands slip away.  
  
“ _Sure._ ” Yuzuru tries not to entertain murderous thoughts toward Jinseo and Han Yan who are now playfully poking Michael’s cheeks.  
  
He feels someone tapping on his shoulders and he turns around to see Kanako looking at him like there’s some joke he doesn’t get.  
  
“What?” he asks, itching to wipe the smile off her face.  
  
Kanako looks over to where Michael and Jinseo are now pointing and laughing at Han. Michael is now trying to calm down as he and Jinseo try to console a seemingly embarrassed Han. Yuzuru can’t help but wonder Michael’s voice would sound against his ear. Would it sound like his voice earlier, or would it remind Yuzuru of something else?  
  
“You must have scared him. Poor thing”  
  
“I didn’t do anything!”  
  
Kanako looks like she’s trying not to roll her eyes. “When you meet new people, you’re usually a socially awkward turtle who still manages to SAY SOMETHING, but with Michael, you just ran out of words!”  
  
“I know I said at least SOMETHING to him.”  
  
“No, you didn’t. You were just staring at him the whole time while not letting go of his hand, you creep,” Kanako says, stifling her laughter. “Poor guy thinks you actually hate him and Jinseo over there is probably giving him hell for it.”  
  
“He didn’t scare me! He’s actually—” Charming? Endearing? Yuzuru sighs. None of those words are enough to do Michael justice.  
  
As though the boys heard Kanako, Yuzuru watches Jinseo whispering something to Han while smirking at Michael before dissolving into chuckles. As a red-faced Michael protests, looking around, his hair bouncing along with the movement. Yuzuru lets his lips curl into a small smile when their eyes briefly meet, and he swears that smile he gets in return is unlike any other he’s seen before.  
  
He hears a clearing of the throat and he sees Kanako smiling like she’s about to commit a heinous crime and knows how to get away with it.  
  
“... What?”  
  
The way Kanako simply shakes her head at him doesn’t help clarify matters.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
**FEBRUARY 6, 2013 — OSAKA, JAPAN**

  
  
  
  
  
  
It’s two days before the short program, and everyone’s trying to cram as much practice time as they can get. He sees skaters from everywhere just trying to find enough space to move without hitting the people they’re sharing the rink with. Yuzuru finds some space as he tests his jumps and is relieved he hasn’t killed anyone yet. As he proceeds with the rest of his routine, a flash of black and blue catches his eyes. Yuzuru stops in his tracks as he watches another male skater pull off the Biellmann spin. The flexibility required to pull that off is uncommon in males, so to see another boy doing it is enough to take his breath away. And as much as Yuzuru doesn’t like to admit it, that spin is probably even better than his own. He tries not to allow himself to get distracted as he resumes his routine.  
  
He takes off for a triple lutz, but he accidentally leaves the rotation too early. He lands butt-first on the cold, hard rink, and he lets out a groan, hoping no one else heard it. Just as he’s about to stand up again, he sees an outstretched hand in front of him. He looks up to see Michael’s concerned face staring back down at him. Yuzuru’s heart suddenly picks up its pace, and he feels his cheeks turning red. He wills himself to believe it’s embarrassment from being seen falling in public. He keeps his eyes on the ground as he accepts Michael’s help. His hands are as soft as they were when they first met. Yuzuru tries to prolong the excuse if holding those hands as he takes his time getting up. After a small smile, both of them resume practice, as they only have 20 minutes left in the ice. His eyes drift over to Michael as he skates. There’s a certain grace in the other boy that Yuzuru thinks one has to be born with. “Stop it,” he tells himself as he attempts to land the jump that caused him to fall earlier.  
  
The rest of 20 minutes goes by fast, and soon, he sees Michael exiting the rink. He has no idea why, but he skates after the latter, only to skate straight into the glass that separates the ice from the rest of the rink. He hears chuckles from Denis, Misha, and Chris, who all try (and fail) to keep straight faces when he makes eye-contact with them.  
  
Misha merely points to the direction of the exit once all three of them stopped laughing. Yuzuru frowns, wondering why he was pointing to the exit headed for the cafeteria, when the locker rooms were the opposite direction.  
  
Once he’s done changing, he looks at the time. Oh. No wonder Misha pointed to the cafeteria. It was lunch time. He heads for the direction Misha pointed to, and true enough, he sees Kanako waving to him from her seat. To Kanako’s left, he sees Michael sitting there, looking completely baffled by the sequence of events.  
  
“He was all alone, so I asked if I could keep him company,” Kanako explains once Yuzuru gets his food and sits down across them. “Jinseo and Han are at practice, and I’m sure we don’t want to play third wheel to Mao and Daisuke, while I don’t know where Akiko and Taka are.”  
  
Michael smiles one of those close-lipped smiles as he assures both of them that they’re not imposing and he’s actually grateful for the company. Yuzuru is thankful for Kanako’s presence, as she knows how to put everyone at ease. Her voice fills what would have been dead air as she tells Michael all sorts of stories that make Yuzuru want to bury himself alive. Michael’s laughter is probably the only good thing about this. Maybe he can allow Kanako to talk some more, if only to hear that laugh again. The only female finally leaves once she catches sight of Maia, who waves at their general direction. Yuzuru isn’t sure whether to heave a sigh of relief or start mentally panicking. He’s never been good at dealing with people. Daisuke’s always teased him about his lack of social skills, and at some point has offered him lessons on how to talk to girls.  
  
He’s got no idea what to talk to Michael about as they just alternate between eating and staring at each other. Yuzuru’s eyes shift around as he looks around at anything that isn’t Michael. There’s something about that gaze that has him incoherent.  
  
“So—” Michael says as he finally shatters that awful silence between them.  
  
“I REALLY THINK POOH AND TIGGER MAKE A CUTE OTP, YEAH?” Yuzuru says before he can stop himself.  
  
The way Michael just blinks at him makes Yuzuru want to head for the ground. He can already hear Kanako cackling at him and judging him for this. Michael’s eyebrows furrow in a way that makes it look like he’s thinking really hard about this, and all Yuzuru wants to do is bolt and never be seen again. He almost does, if not for the hand holding him back.  
  
Michael’s still sitting there, with his hand on Yuzuru’s wrist. “It’s something I never thought of before, but yeah. They might be… but it’ll take some convincing from you.”  
  
Yuzuru’s jaw hangs open at this. No one’s humored his Pooh-Tigger ship since, well, EVER. He feels a small smile on his lips as he sits down to explain. He has no idea if he’s making any sense to the other as Michael just nods and listens, asking questions whenever he could. There’s that tiny smile on Michael’s face, and Yuzuru wonders if it means anything. All of a sudden, he sees Jinseo and Han standing there, asking if they can join them. Yuzuru reluctantly nods as he watches the two newcomers pull the chairs at either side. He sighs to himself as he wonders why he so desperately wants this boy all to himself when he barely knows what to say without making a fool of himself.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
**FEBRUARY 9, 2013 — OSAKA, JAPAN**

  
  
  
  
  
  
Yuzuru hasn’t had time for anything else ever since the competition started. He may have managed to win over the judges during the short program with “Parisienne Walkways.” Unfortunately, he wasn’t so lucky during his free skate to “Notre Dame de Paris.”  
  
He knows he should consider himself lucky for a silver medal, but he can’t help but be disappointed in himself. He can’t begrudge Kevin’s gold medal, as the other skater won it fairly. He only has himself to blame for his discontent. He knows there’s a lot he still has to work on, and he knows he’ll be able to make up for it during the World Championships.  
  
After accepting congratulations from almost everyone, he walks back to his room to finally get some sleep. As he’s about to open the door, he hears laughter coming from two boys. It’s a sound he’s gotten familiar with in the last few days he’s been here. Michael and Jinseo are there again, playfully hitting each other as they go. Both boys wave at him, offering him congratulations as they walk by. Michael’s gaze lingers longer than Jinseo’s, and Yuzuru finds himself staring at his shoes as though they’re the prettiest thing in the world. By the time he looks back up, Michael is long gone and he’s all alone in a dark hallway. He finds himself sighing as he enters his room.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
**FEBRUARY 12, 2013 — OSAKA, JAPAN**

  
  
  
  
  
  
It’s been a day since the competition ended, and Yuzuru still feels like the last few days were just a dream. He walks past the room he remembers Michael shares with Chris. He raises his fist to the door, but then he decides against it. Maybe he’s already gone. He regrets not asking Michael for his flight schedule. They could have had breakfast or something… He doesn’t know. He sighs as he stares at the door one last time. Yuzuru shifts his backpack over his shoulder.  
  
“Honestly, what am I even doing?” he asks himself as he stands in front of the door, wishing someone would tell him what to do.  
  
“This isn’t your room, is it?”  
  
Yuzuru jumps at the sound of that voice.  
  
“Kanako! What are you doing here?”  
  
“I might ask you the same thing,” she says, laughing.  
  
“I… I honestly don’t know,” Yuzuru admits as he stares at the still-closed door.  
  
He suddenly launches into a full-blown account of how he’s been losing sleep over the warmth of Michael’s bony hands, the depth of those deep brown eyes as he listens to whatever Yuzuru says, the way those bushy eyebrows join together when he’s confused, and most of all, the sound of Michael’s voice was something Yuzuru could fall asleep to and dream of at night. He stops himself as he sees Kanako smiling at him like she knows a deep, dark secret.  
  
“What is this feeling though?” he asks, more to himself than Kanako.  
  
“You, my dear friend, have a crush on Michael Martinez,” she replies, smirking at him.  
  
“I don—” he says, about to protest. He thinks back on those last few days, and yes, maybe Kanako’s actually right for once in her life. This is probably his last chance. He wants to have at least one memory with Michael that he isn’t going to cringe at. “How long have you known?”  
  
“You’re asking the wrong questions, Hanyu,” Kanako says. “You should be asking ‘Where is he?’”  
  
They’re about to knock on the door again when Chris walks out of the room they’re standing in front of. With one look at Yuzuru, the Filipino skater merely smiles and says, “You should hurry if you want to catch him. He’s supposed to be leaving for the airport soon.”  
  
Yuzuru and Kanako exchange glances before the latter practically pushes him to the elevator, yelling “TELL ME HOW IT GOES!”  
  
Yuzuru runs out of the elevator as it reaches the ground floor. There are lots of people at the lobby, all probably leaving for the airport as well. He can feel his breath getting short again, but he finds that he doesn’t care. He hopes this adrenaline rush will hold him through, at least until he says what he needs to say. He weaves himself through the crowd until he spots a familiar red jacket.  
  
“MICHAEL!” he shouts, not caring who else hears him.  
  
Michael excuses himself from his mom and turns around. “Hey,” he says, smiling. “Congrats again, Yuzuru.”  
  
“Thanks,” Yuzuru says, trying to catch his breath.  
  
“What’s up?” Michael asks, glancing back and forth between Yuzuru and his mom.  
  
“I… I just wanted to say…” Yuzuru says, suddenly forgetting the words he came up with in the elevator. At this point, he might as well go with his gut and say whatever. “I just wanted to say it was really nice getting to know you, even if it’s just for a little while. I really wish we could have had more time to hang out, and that I really hope to see you around next competition. And before I forget, as funny as it sounds: keep smiling. I like it better when you smile.”  
  
He sees a tiny flush on those bronze cheeks and Yuzuru can’t stop wondering if they’re as soft as they look. To satisfy his curiosity, he gently strokes those cheeks and he’s relieved that no one’s stopping him. He was wrong. Those cheeks are even softer than they looked. He almost wants to feel them with his lips, but he’ll save that for another time.  
  
“It was awesome getting to talk to you too, Yuzuru,” Michael suddenly says, breaking Yuzuru out of his reverie. “I’d really love to get to hang out next time. And uh… one last thing… This will sound weird but, can I hug you?”  
  
Yuzuru finds himself chuckling as he nods, and soon arms are wrapping themselves around him. He can only wonder how come he didn’t think of this sooner? He hugs Michael back, savoring the feeling of the other boy’s warm embrace.  
  
“Well, until next time?”  
  
“Definitely.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
_Just a boy  
Just an ordinary boy  
But he was looking to the sky_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
**EPILOUGE  
2014 WINTER OLYMPICS  
FEBRUARY 3, 2014 — SOCHI, RUSSIA**

  
  
  
  
  
This is it. It’s the Olympics now. He’s been preparing all his life for this moment. All eyes are on him as they expect him to make an impact. Some are going so far as to pressure him into winning the gold medal. After three years, he can finally repay the people in Sendai for everything they’ve done for him. It’s quite fitting really.  
  
Yuzuru finds himself standing next to Misha and Denis, posing for another photo for one of Misha’s many social media accounts as they wait for their room assignments. As he watches the Shibutani siblings kidnap Denis for a photo op, he notices Misha waving to someone. He looks over to where Misha’s attention is directed, and he sees the face of the person who’s consumed his thoughts in Osaka last year.  
  
Michael’s gotten taller than he last remembers, but everything else is still the same—especially the wonder in those eyes.  
  
“Hey,” Michael whispers.  
  
“Hi stranger,” he greets in return.  
  
Yuzuru doesn’t know what will happen next, but he knows second chances like these are rare. This time, he’s going to take it.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
-30-

  
  
  
---  
  
**Author's Note:**

> \- Prompted by Vanessa Carlton’s “Ordinary Day” and f(x)’s “Beautfiful Stranger.”  
> \- Thanks to Bruno, my ever-reliable beta/the default person I run to for help in Figure Skating fics  
> \- Dedicated to #TeamYeloBear, Yoonmi, and Yuki  
> \- My first fluff fic for this OTP. ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED  
> \- There’s an on-going support project by Tropical Frost for Michael Christian Martinez. Follow @Tropical Frost on Twitter for updates


End file.
